Animal Information and Wildlife Management

Raccoons: Raccoons are one of the most commonly dealt with nuisance animal species here in central Florida. They are very capable and adaptable
creatures, and I consider them very intelligent and talented. They have very nimble hands, they are very strong, and they are excellent climbers. For these reasons, they commonly break into houses,
where they like to live, raise young, and steal food. Many raccoons have no fear of people (or dogs), and thus commonly come into conflict with humans in urban settings.

Squirrels: Possibly the "classic" and most common nuisance species throughout North America, and Florida is no exception. The Eastern Gray Squirrel
is incredibly agile and simply loves to live inside the attics of people's homes, and will chew its way inside. Squirrels have two litters of young per year, and prefer to raise them in a safe place,
such as your attic. Once inside, these rodents, like all rodents, will often chew on wood and wires, not to mention the noise they make running around up there.

Opossums: Possums are everywhere in Florida. These marsupials are usually gentle and slow. However, several aspects of their behavior bring them
into conflict with people. First of all, as scavengers, they frequently get into people's pet food and garbage. Secondly, they frequently enter attics here in Florida - and once inside, they really
make a mess! Third, they don't live very long, and they seem to prefer to die inside an attic or wall or under a house, so they are my most common carcass removal.

Armadillos: Armadillos are unusual creatures, and like all of the animals on this list, they don't mean any harm and are usually gentle, but they
have a real digging habit, and this often causes conflicts with people. Armadillos frequently choose to make a burrow next to or under a home or other cover, such as an AC unit or oil tank. They also
dig under sidewalks, sheds, decks, you name it. They dig worms and grubs out of the ground, and can often wreck a person's nice landscaping while in search of food.

Rats: Rats are probably the single most commonly dealt with nuisance animal here in Florida. The Roof Rat (rattus rattus), also known as the Citrus
Rat here in FL, invades any home with any small opening leading inside. They usually enter merely for warmth and shelter, but also for food. Once inside, they make a lot of scurrying and scratching
noises, but they also chew on wires, defecate and urinate everywhere, and often enter the home and raid the pantry. They are nocturnal, and amazingly fast and agile.

Moles: The Eastern Mole is common in Florida yards. They are subterranian, and dig a network of tunnels and even chambers underground. They dig
through the soil with their powerful claws, and people often object to the surface tunnels that they create - including the numerous feeding tunnels that they dig while searching out earthworms, grubs,
and other insects. I don't consider the mole an important pest species, because the damage is not severe, and they don't pose any health risks.

Birds: The most common pest bird in the wildlife control industry is the pigeon, as seen to the left. Pigeons are common in urban areas, and live
very well in conjunction with people. They often roost in public areas, such as on building ledges, beams, and store signs. They also frequently live in attics, and I often deal with groups of pigeons
living in the attics of homes, condos, and apartment buildings. The problems are the usual with nuisance animals - noise, and a whole lot of unsightly and unsanitary excrement.

Bats: Bats are amazing creatures, and are my favorite animals to deal with. Many superstitions and misconceptions surround this peaceful and beneficial
animal. The nuisance bats that I deal with are always colonizing bats - usually a maternity group of females, roosting together in a large group inside a building. Even though the animals are good for
insect control, they can form huge groups, and cause significant noise and especially odor problems with their thousands of droppings and gallons of urine.

Snakes: Florida is home to perhaps 45 species of snakes, and most of them are completely harmless. Central Florida has four species of venomous snake -
the Eastern Diamondback Rattler, the Pigmy Rattler, the Cottonmouth, and the Coral Snake. These snakes are not terribly common, and the simple way to avoid conflict is to stay away when you see one of these
species. The rest should be enjoyed and admired, or at least not treated with fear and disdain. The general rule for any snake: just leave it alone!

Dead Animals: It's a fact of life - death. Of wild animals, in your home or on your property. Every animal on this list eventually dies, and when they
do, decay and odor is usually the case. If the animal happens to take its last breath inside your house, get ready for a tremendous odor within. The most common dead animals that I extract from homes are
rats and opossums. Both of these animals have short life spans and a knack for getting inside of buildings. Dead carcass removal is a necessary part of wildlife management.

The above are the main species involved in Florida wildlife management. There are other animals as well, of course, such as alligators, black bears, wild boar, flying squirrels, gophers, mice, fox & coyote, stray cats,
exotics and more, but I the above animals account for most of the nuisance wildlife control calls. As a state licensed wildlife trapper, I can handle all of the above pictured animals, but I do not handle alligators
or black bears, or any animal under special regulation by the state of Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission. Nor will they, or any city or county agency, such as the county animal services, handle a private
residence problem with wildlife. If you hear those scurrying and scratching noises in your attic, you must hire a professional wildlife management company such as mine to handle your problem - believe me, it's usually
very detail-oriented work, the kind that requires a great deal of special knowledge and tools, and is best left to a professional. Just give me a call if you want to talk about your animal problem, and I'll be able to
explain a solution and provide a price quote over the phone, and make a quick, usually same or next-day appointment.